The University of Maryland athletics department on Wednesday morning announced the NCAA has approved the appeal on the waiver allowing Dez Wells to be immediately eligible for competition.

The appeal decision was provided by the NCAA Division I Legislative Council Subcommittee for Legislative Relief, which is comprised of athletics administrators from around the country, and overturned the staff decision denying the waiver.

“We’re very happy for Dez as the NCAA legislative relief process provided him with complete and fair due process,” said director of athletics Kevin Anderson. “Our staff was personally invested in the NCAA waiver and appeal process because it was in the best interest of our student-athlete. We’re pleased that Dez will be able to move forward and experience all the opportunities that come with being a student-athlete at the University of Maryland.”

“We’re excited for Dez because at the end of the day, the NCAA made the right decision,” said basketball head coach Mark Turgeon. “Our staff did an incredible job in putting this NCAA waiver appeal together on Dez’s behalf. Dez has been a welcomed addition, a great teammate, and has made a seamless transition in getting acclimated to our campus. This has been a long process for him and his family, and we’re grateful he can put it behind him and focus on being a student-athlete at the University of Maryland.”

COLLEGE PARK, MD. – The University of Maryland posted an all-time high institutional Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 83 percent in figures released today by the National Collegiate Athletics Association. It marks the third time in the eight-year history of the metric that Maryland has been above 80 percent and the third straight year the campus set a school record. Maryland’s previous-best GSR of 82 percent came in 2011.

Maryland’s four-year Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) for student-athletes was 68 percent, three percent higher than the overall NCAA Division I average of 65 percent.

The most recent Division I Graduation Success Rates are based on Maryland student-athletes who comprised the four entering classes from 2002-2003 through 2005-2006. Unlike the FGR, the Graduation Success Rate does not penalize the institution for those student-athletes who transfer from Maryland in good academic standing; includes student-athletes who transfer into the institution and receive athletics aid; and also accounts for midyear enrollees.

Overall, Maryland’s GSR rate of 83 percent is three percent better than the overall NCAA Division I average of 80 percent. It marks the fourth consecutive year that Maryland has increased its overall GSR rate.

“We are committed in having our student-athletes receive an outstanding education, while earning their diplomas at the University of Maryland,” said director of athletics Kevin Anderson. “Our vision is to be the best intercollegiate athletics program while producing graduates who are prepared to serve as leaders in the local, state and global communities.”

“I am excited about what our student-athletes have accomplished in the classroom,” said Chris Uchacz, associate A.D. for academic services and career development. “The Academic Support and Career Development team will continue to work diligently to provide every opportunity for our student-athletes to experience a high level of academic success.”

In this most recent data, 19 teams at Maryland earned GSR scores at or above 80 percent. Field hockey had a 100 percent GSR score, while women’s lacrosse (96 percent), women’s soccer (94) and women’s basketball (93) all matched or improved their GSR score from the previous year. In addition, women’s basketball’s 93 GSR score was nine percent higher than the overall NCAA Division I average for their sport.

Overall, the men’s golf team achieved a 90 percent GSR, marking the highest-scoring men’s team at Maryland. Football earned a 65 percent GSR score, marking an improvement from a 59 percent GSR score in 2011. This also marks the football programs highest GSR score since 2008. Men’s basketball had a 50 percent GSR this year, which is up from 46 percent in 2011.

The GSR and FGR are separate from the NCAA’s Academic Performance Rates, which will be released in Spring 2013.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland and the University of Wisconsin have agreed to a two-year home-and-home football series.

Maryland will travel to Madison, Wis., on Sept. 12, 2020 for a game with the Badgers. Wisconsin will make the return trip to Maryland on Sept. 11, 2021 for a game inside Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.

“We’re excited about adding Wisconsin to the upcoming football schedule,” said Kevin Anderson, director of athletics. “These will be much anticipated games for both our future student-athletes and for our fans.”

It will be the first time in history the two schools have met in a football game.

– Terps –

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland department of athletics will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Darryl Hill becoming the first African-American player to play at the University of Maryland and in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Hill will be joined at a press availability with director of athletics Kevin Anderson and head coach Randy Edsall on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at noon at the Gossett Football Team House. In addition, Hill will be recognized during the Maryland-NC State game on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 3:30 p.m. at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.

Hill transferred to Maryland in 1962 and after sitting out one year he broke the color barrier in 1963, playing against NC State in College Park. Hill was also the first African-American to play at Gonzaga High School and the Naval Academy.

Hill emerged as Maryland’s top wide receiver in 1963, finishing with 43 receptions, only three short of the school record at the time. He played with the New York Jets for a short period before returning to school and earning a master’s degree from Southern Illinois. He has started businesses in China, Russia as well as the Pacific Energy Corporation. He also returned to Maryland for a period to serve as a Maryland’s director of major gifts.

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – In addition to their work on the field, Maryland student-athletes worked hard in the classroom last year as the department-wide cumulative and semester GPAs were raised overall and all sports received impressive NCAA APR scores.

The student-athlete cumulative GPA increased to 2.875, up from 2.862 in the fall semester, and the semester GPA for spring 2012 was 2.881, which improved from 2.856 in the fall of 2011.

“Our student-athletes and the significant role our coaches and support staff play in assisting each of them as they work toward earning a university diploma has helped us to reach this level of success,” director of athletics Kevin Anderson said. “Maryland student-athletes truly epitomize the term student-athlete as they prove day-in and day-out that they can be successful in both the classroom and the athletic arena.”

Forty-eight student-athletes earned perfect semester GPAs of 4.00 and 139 Terrapins earned a 3.50 or higher. In addition, 281 Maryland student-athletes received a semester GPA of 3.00 or better, 262 Terps were nominated for the ACC Honor Roll and 113 were named to their colleges’ respective Dean’s Lists.

“The fact that the departmental semester and cumulative GPA’s have increased in each of the last two semesters speaks volumes to the commitment Maryland student-athletes have made in the classroom,” said Chris Uchacz, associate athletics director of academic support and career development.

Ninety-four student-athletes graduated in in the 2011-12 academic year. University of Maryland posted an all-time institutional high Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 82 percent, marking the second straight year Maryland has set a record.

The Federal Graduation Rate was 75 percent for all students-athletes that entered Maryland in the fall of 2004, which was 10 points higher than the national average.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Kansas State associate head coach John Szefc has been hired as the new head baseball coach at the University of Maryland, director of athletics Kevin Anderson announced Wednesday.

Szefc (pronounced CHEF), who is the seventh head coach in the 120-year history of the program, comes to Maryland with a proven track record as a recruiter and hitting coach. The Middletown, N.Y., native has served as recruiting coordinator at his last three stops and owns ties to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast corridors.

Szefc also brings head coaching experience, having led Marist College to four conference championships and three NCAA Regional appearances in a seven-year stint from 1996-2002.

“I’m excited about this wonderful opportunity to lead the Maryland baseball program,” said Szefc. “I’d like to thank Kevin Anderson and the search committee for their confidence in me. We have a strong core group of players already in place at Maryland and I see great things for the future of our program.”

“John has been successful in every position he’s held during his 22-year coaching career,” said Anderson. “He has proven himself as a successful head coach and a recruiter and developer of top talent. I have no doubt that John will do an outstanding job leading our baseball program.”

Szefc, who has coached 69 players that have been drafted or signed professional contracts since 1997, brings an aggressive offensive style. He helped lead Kansas State to a NCAA Regional in 2011, when the Wildcats led the Big 12 in stolen bases with 123 while placing 10th in school history with 564 hits on the year.

Szefc came to Manhattan after a two-year stint at the University of Kansas where he was the team’s hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. While in Lawrence, Szefc helped lead the Jayhawks to two Big 12 Championship appearances and a NCAA Regional berth during his first season in 2009.

With Szefc’s guidance, the Jayhawks made a 17-point improvement in overall team batting average from .287 in 2008 to .304 in 2010. In Big 12 games in 2010, Kansas hit .305, which ranked second in the conference, while it led the league in base hits (304), and finished second in runs scored (195) and walks (115) during league play.

Prior to his position at Kansas, Szefc was the head assistant coach at Louisiana-Lafayette from 2003-08, running an aggressive-style Ragin’ Cajun offense that saw a dramatic 60-point jump in batting average during his first three years. Three of his team’s batting averages still rank in the top five of Louisiana history and his 2005 squad set a school record for hits and finished second in school history in runs scored and RBI. The 2002 team tied the school record with 145 stolen bases.

Szefc posted a 212-137-1 record as the skipper for Marist, leading the Red Foxes to their first baseball title as a member of the Northeast Conference in 1997. He also guided Marist to three more NCAA Tournament appearances in 2000, 2001 and 2002, including a 41-14 record during his final year at the school. The 2002 squad claimed a victory over Southwest Missouri State in the NCAA Lincoln Regional, while five of Szefc’s players on that team went on to be selected in the MLB Draft.

Szefc won multiple awards as a head coach as he was named the 1997 NEC Coach of the year, while he earned American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Northeast Region Coach of the Year honors in 2001.

In his career, he has coached in 24 NCAA Regional games, coached and developed 13 All-Americans, and accumulated a 571-382 overall record as an assistant and head coach.

Before his arrival at Marist, Szefc spent one season with Sacred Heart University and four years as an assistant coach with his alma mater, Drexel, from 1990-94.

Szefc managed the New York Generals in the Atlantic College Baseball League (ACBL) during the summers of 1995 and 1996, guiding the club to a 47-28 record in two seasons, two consecutive Kaiser Division championships and the ACBL championship game in 1996.

Szefc played collegiately for two years at Connecticut before transferring in 1987 to Drexel. During his senior campaign for the Dragons, he was tabbed an All-East Coast Conference outfielder.

Szefc graduated from Drexel University with a degree in corporate communications in 1989. He also holds a master’s degree in sports administration from Temple University.

He and his wife, Barbara, have a daughter, Anna, and two sons, John Michael and Sam.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday that University of Maryland Athletic Director Kevin Anderson had interviewed for the same position at Stanford University.

After confirmed reports indicated he was set to take the job Monday afternoon and that “contract details” were being discussed, it looks as if Anderson himself denied that report and said that he is committed to staying at Maryland, via a statement from the school, via ESPN.com

“I am not in discussion nor have I been with Stanford University regarding their open athletic director position as I am committed to being the director of athletics at the University of Maryland. My focus and energy are committed to working to enhance the student-athlete experience and the competitive and financial success at the University of Maryland. We have just begun the transformation of the athletic department and I look forward to seeing this through.”

Anderson has been rumored to be of interest to the Cardinal for almost a month but declined he had talked to the school about their opening in a June interview with The Diamondback. Former Stanford AD Bob Bowlsby left Palo Alto to become the new Big 12 commissioner in May. The Chicago Tribune reported over the weekend that Northwestern AD Jim Phillips had been Stanford’s favorite to replace Bowlsby but he declined the offer.

Anderson is nearly two years into a five year deal he signed in College Park after serving in the same capacity at the United States Military Academy (Army) since 2004. He replaced polarizing former AD Debbie Yow, who had accepted the same position at North Carolina State University. Anderson is originally from the Bay Area and previously worked as a fund raiser at Stanford. He graduated from San Francisco State University and also worked in the athletic department at the University of California (Berkeley).

Anderson has been scrutinized in College Park for his decision to fire popular football coach Ralph Friedgen in 2010 just months after his arrival and hiring Randy Edsall to replace him instead of popular choice Mike Leach. Anderson was praised for helping former basketball coach Gary Williams through his retirement process, but was scrutinized further for failing to lure University of Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller to the Terrapins, instead hiring former Texas A&M University coach Mark Turgeon.

Most recently Anderson has overseen the process of eliminating seven varsity sports due to budgetary concerns.

Neither school announced the move, and the Chronicle quickly took down the report off the front page of their site.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – University of Maryland director of athletics Kevin Anderson will become president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) for 2012-13, the association announced Tuesday.

Anderson was elected to the post in conjunction with the 47th Annual NACDA Convention, which was held June 22-28 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Anderson replaces UCLA director of athletics Dan Guerrero, who served as President in 2011-12.

“I am honored and humbled to serve as NACDA President for the upcoming year,” said Anderson. “I would like to salute Dan Guerrero for his outstanding leadership over the past 12 months, and I hope to build on his work to further our profession over the next 12.

“NACDA had a tremendous convention again this year in Dallas with record-breaking attendance, and I look forward to continuing that trend for the 2013 convention.”

NACDA, now in its 48th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,200 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 13 professional associations, including seven for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics directors.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Assistant coach Eric Milton has been elevated to interim head coach of the University of Maryland baseball team, director of athletics Kevin Anderson announced Thursday.

Milton, who played at Maryland from 1994-96 and had an 11-year Major League career, joined the Terrapin coaching staff as volunteer assistant in September 2011.

“I’m honored to accept this position and look forward to working with our players and recruits in the coming months,” said Milton. “My goal when I came here was to help develop our players for professional careers and build a winning tradition at my alma mater. That goal remains the same.”

“Eric’s knowledge of the game of baseball, as well as this institution, makes him the right person to guide the program at this time,” said Anderson. “In his 11-year Major League career and during his time as an assistant last season, Eric has proven his ability as an elite talent and teacher. We couldn’t be happier to have him serve in this role.”

With Milton serving as interim coach, Maryland will move forward with a national search for a head coach.

Milton was an American League All-Star for the Minnesota Twins in 2001 and won 89 games in his major-league career, also pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and L.A. Dodgers.

In his career, Milton started 270 games, pitched over 1,500 innings and faced nearly 7,000 batters, giving him a wealth of experience at the highest level of baseball.

A first-round draft pick of the New York Yankees in the 1996 amateur draft, Milton made his Major League debut at the age of 22 for the Twins.

From 1999-2001, he averaged 160 strikeouts per season, ranking in the top 11 of the American League each year. He was an All-Star in 2001 when he went 15-7 with a 4.32 ERA and a career-high 220 2/3 innings pitched.

He won 41 games for the Twins from 2000-2002 and helped them reach the American League Championship Series in ’02.

Milton led the Philadelphia Phillies with a 14-6 record in 2004, when he topped the 200-inning mark for the fourth time in his career. He went on to pitch for the Reds for three seasons and finished his career with the Dodgers in 2009.

At Maryland, Milton racked up 236 strikeouts in his three-year career, which ranks third in school history. In his last season, 1996, Milton struck out 118, a mark that stands as the second most in a season in program annals.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – University of Maryland head baseball coach Erik Bakich resigned his post on Wednesday to accept the same position at the University of Michigan.

Bakich, who came to Maryland in June of 2009 after a seven-year stint as an assistant at Vanderbilt, completed his third season with the Terrapins in May. He improved his win total each season at Maryland, leading the program to 32 wins in 2012, its second most in school history. In his three seasons, Bakich compiled a 70-98 overall record, including a 20-70 mark in the ACC.

Deputy athletics director Nathan Pine will immediately lead a committee that will conduct a national search for a new head coach.

“I would like to congratulate Erik and thank him for the job he has done in laying a foundation for success over the past three years,” said director of athletics Kevin Anderson. “While we’re sorry to see Erik go, we are confident we can bring in someone who will represent our values at Maryland and who can continue the positive momentum we have built in our program. I wish Erik and his family all the best in this next chapter of their life.”